Ken Gruebel: Good read in an old book: The dirt on ‘DIRT’

Published: Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 05:42 PM.

DIRT, by Stuart Woods, Harper Collins, 272pp, $24.

Well guess what? I went to pick up the latest Stuart Woods novel, which is just off the press, as one might say. What did I return with? An oldie goldie. That is a Stuart Woods novel that I had not yet read. This novel, featuring the ever popular Stone Barrington, was published a couple of decades ago but it is a gripping story, full of twists and turns and the reader will not know until the very end how it will all work out.

For those who follow Stone Barrington, lawyer, sleuth and apparently, full time ladies man, this is the novel that introduces the lovely lady whose first name is Arrington. She tells our hero right up front that they can never marry. Her excuse is that the name Arrington Barrington would not have much of a ring to it in the social circles in which they move.

All the characters are here. Dino is still in the police ranks in spite of having a father-in-law who is a full time racketeer and gangster. Stone is still living in his house with his office and a secretary to handle his legal business. Apparently women come and go at a fairly active rate and the faithful secretary struggles to keep up with the legal work and the personal life.

The prime character in trouble here is one Amanda Dart, a columnist whose biting words and revelations of many deep dark secrets of well known people make her extremely popular in the newspaper world and worthy of her huge contract. Ah, but then the tables are turned and Amanda is not only caught but photographed in living color with a lover visiting from England. All is revealed in a scandal sheet with potentially severe consequences. Called “DIRT” (and hence the title of the novel) distribution is by fax or email to an extremely limited clientele.

Barrington is retained to find the publishers of this threatening publication and spends a good deal of time chasing down two elusive men whose operation goes far beyond one terrified columnist and into the movers and shakers of the newspaper world. Yes, a true oldie goldie.

I enjoyed every chapter in spite of the age of this novel. Older can be better.

Well guess what? I went to pick up the latest Stuart Woods novel, which is just off the press, as one might say. What did I return with? An oldie goldie. That is a Stuart Woods novel that I had not yet read. This novel, featuring the ever popular Stone Barrington, was published a couple of decades ago but it is a gripping story, full of twists and turns and the reader will not know until the very end how it will all work out.

For those who follow Stone Barrington, lawyer, sleuth and apparently, full time ladies man, this is the novel that introduces the lovely lady whose first name is Arrington. She tells our hero right up front that they can never marry. Her excuse is that the name Arrington Barrington would not have much of a ring to it in the social circles in which they move.

All the characters are here. Dino is still in the police ranks in spite of having a father-in-law who is a full time racketeer and gangster. Stone is still living in his house with his office and a secretary to handle his legal business. Apparently women come and go at a fairly active rate and the faithful secretary struggles to keep up with the legal work and the personal life.

The prime character in trouble here is one Amanda Dart, a columnist whose biting words and revelations of many deep dark secrets of well known people make her extremely popular in the newspaper world and worthy of her huge contract. Ah, but then the tables are turned and Amanda is not only caught but photographed in living color with a lover visiting from England. All is revealed in a scandal sheet with potentially severe consequences. Called “DIRT” (and hence the title of the novel) distribution is by fax or email to an extremely limited clientele.

Barrington is retained to find the publishers of this threatening publication and spends a good deal of time chasing down two elusive men whose operation goes far beyond one terrified columnist and into the movers and shakers of the newspaper world. Yes, a true oldie goldie.

I enjoyed every chapter in spite of the age of this novel. Older can be better.

Harper Collins has apparently obtained the rights for and republished as paper backs, four of the mysteries of Dorothy L. Sayers. I have just started reading one of these called “Strong Poison,” one of the very early Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. Thus far I have learned that Harriet Vane, also a writer, has been charged with poisoning a fellow writer. There has been a trial and to the surprise of everyone, including the jurors and the suspected culprit, the jury could not reach a verdict. There is now going to be a second trial, scheduled for just thirty days away.

Enter Lord Peter Wimsey, who is not only convinced that Harriet Vane is innocent but he is so smitten by this lady that he is also convinced she would make an excellent wife.

With this in mind, Lord Wimsey starts interviewing anyone who will listen to him about the victim, or the accused lady or the publishing business, the banking business and how writers go about writing. I’m about halfway through the story and hope to finish it soon. I don’t know if I will get to the other three. We’ll see how “A STRONG POISON” goes first. Since there were other Lord Peter Wimsey novels, also including Harriet Vane, one must assume that she will be exonerated. More when I finish the novel.